When Jesus said to the Jews of His day that they were gods He was referring to their potential status in the next life. The offer still stands for those who truly seek God. Whether one attains that exalted level of life for eternity depends entirely on one’s belief in and obedience to the Words of their Creator. Though almost impossible to believe, God’s obedient saints are offered JOINT GODSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. Those who overcome Satan as He overcame him will sit with Him on His throne as gods (Rev. 3:21). For the first 1000 years following His return they, AS HUMANS/GODS will rule the earth with the MAN (1 Tim. 2:5) Jesus. Following that period they will then rule the entire universe forever. This is what Jesus was offering the Jews of His day. His offer still stands for not only biological Israelites, but anyone who would become a spiritual Israelite. Can this unheard-of promise be true? Let us allow Him to tell us.

In the 20th chapter of John’s gospel we find the risen, born again Jesus of Nazareth speaking to Mary Magdalene who, along with several other women, had come to the tomb to prepare His body for burial. We find Him saying to her: “… go tell My brethren … I am ascending to MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD” (vs 17). Did you hear it? Jesus of Nazareth, Who, having been born again and is in His spirit body, is telling His saints that, upon their rebirth, they can become exactly as He is. Having changed from physical to spiritual beings, THEY WILL HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER/GOD AS HE DOES NOW. At Christ’s coming God’s obedient saints will become exactly what the man Jesus became–born again spirit beings who will also be GODS. When He says to His saints today through His written Word: “Ye are gods,” He is speaking to PEOPLE WHO WILL BE GODS EXACTLY AS HE IS NOW. THEY WILL RULE AND REIGN WITH HIM AS GODS AND JOINT HEIRS WITH HIM OF ALL THINGS. I prove this Scripturally in the series titled God’s Very Elect–Future Caretakers of the Universe.

In John 1:1-4,14 we are told that the Word (Who became Jesus of Nazareth) was anciently a co-equal God from the beginning. Notice that prior to coming to earth as a man, the Word had neither a Father nor a God. He was a God–a God has neither a Father nor a God. He, as John tells us, was “In the beginning,” having neither a beginning nor an end, neither father nor mother. The Word (Spokesman), along with God, were/are eternal. Prior to His becoming God’s Son through human birth, the Word was “equal with God” (Phil. 2:6). At that time He was not His Son, but rather a co-equal God. The Word became God’s Son when He came to earth as a human being born of a woman. God was both His Father and His God while He (the Word) walked the earth as a human being. Read John 20:17 carefully. Notice that FOLLOWING HIS RESURRECTION, GOD WAS (IS) STILL HIS GOD AND FATHER JUST LIKE HIS BRETHREN. He told Mary Magdalene to tell His brethren that He and they (potentially) shared the same God and Father. The same holds true to this day. His modern saints, if they endure to the end with their holiness intact (Mat. 10:22), will inherit salvation and receive the same inheritance as Jesus. As a MAN He NOW sits beside the Father on His throne mediating between God and mankind (1 Tim. 2:5). Saints have the potential to enjoy the same status and the same relationship with God that Jesus enjoys today.

In summary, true saints are gods in the making. Upon rebirth they will join Jesus in the Kingdom of God from which they will rule and reign with Him forever as MAN/GODS (1 Tim. 2:5/Jn. 10:30-36/Ps. 82:6). Please study the Scriptures I have presented with a mind open to God’s voice. If you are sincere in your quest for God’s Truth He will open your eyes to it. L.J.

Addendum: Relative to the word “man” used to describe Jesus as He sits at the Father’s side in heaven, the word in Greek is “Anthropos,” meaning a human being. The word “man” used in 1 Timothy 2:5 to describe Jesus today is Anthropos, the same word used throughout the New Testament to describe any and all human beings, including Adam. THERE IS A HUMAN BEING/GOD SITTING BESIDE GOD THE FATHER AT THIS TIME. SAINTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SIT BESIDE THEM ON JESUS THRONE AS GOD/MEN–EXACTLY AS JESUS IS AND WILL FOREVER BE. Jesus became a man in order to show us how to live today in such a way that will qualify us to live with Him and the Father throughout eternity. But in order to achieve that lofty goal, WE MUST LIVE OUR EARTHLY LIVES AS HE LIVED HIS. IN ORDER TO WALK WITH HIM AS GOD/MEN THROUGHOUT ETERNITY WE MUST WALK AS GOD/MEN IN THIS LIFE–WE MUST “WALK AS HE WALKED” (1 Jn. 2:6). We must be “special,” a “royal priesthood,” a “peculiar people,” a “holy nation,” a “purified” people who are “zealous for good works” (1 Pet. 2:9/Titus 2:14). There is no substitute for this Law. God was kind enough to not only leave us written instructions for walking that walk, He sent His co-God to earth AS A MAN to demonstrate how to do it. Jesus die a horrific death so that He could send us His Holy Spirit to empower us to follow in His footsteps. What more could be asked of Father and Son? If that isn’t love, I don’t know what love is.